“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3).
These words are very uplifting for all of us who work to affirm life and give us assurance our work is not in vain. We live in a world where many people view death as the answer to life’s problems. It is clear in Scripture, however, that life is to be valued, not destroyed. Life is a gift not to be discarded. It can indeed make us weary when we do our work to proclaim life as valuable, and the world continues to abort babies and write prescriptions for people to commit suicide and minimize the value of life in so many ways. Yet, it is encouraging to know we have the gift of prayer to use to strengthen us, knowing the God of life is always in front of us guiding our way, always behind us holding us up, and always beside us keeping us focused and on the right course.
The most encouraging thing is shared in verse three where it says our labor of love and steadfastness of hope are because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, He gave His life to redeem ours. His complete sacrifice gives us the assurance of eternal life. Life is forever for all who believe. Knowing all of this makes our work special and meaningful, and it rescues us when we grow weary.
There are many people doing the work of proclaiming life as valuable and sharing the scriptural message of the sanctity of human life. The makeup of the people doing this work is varied in many ways. They range in age, gender, and race—it just doesn’t matter, the message of life is for everyone to share.
Many people have been champions for life for many years, some for the full 39 years Lutherans For Life has been in existence, and some even longer. Others are doing it for the very first time. God values every For Life servant.
We read the statistics that tell us that the average age of our church members is getting older, well into the sixties, and we start to worry that our faithful workers will start to step aside and the work will cease. We hear the echo from many that the young people need to step up and take over. Although we don’t see that happening in the manner in which we would like, how do we know they aren’t busy doing life-affirming work in a new and different way? In many ways, the young folks of today are more life-affirming than their preceding generation, and that is great news.
I have had the privilege of attending all of our LFL Regional Conferences this fall and have been very encouraged to see the number of young people in attendance learning how to be Gospel-motivated voices For Life.
As we all learn more about the life issues and what Scripture has to say about them, we become confident and prepared to share with others when the opportunity arises. Sometimes it’s okay to just say, “I know taking life prematurely to God’s plan is wrong.” We don’t need to be afraid to speak up. When people with a worldly view speak up, they don’t have all of the facts and understanding, yet that doesn’t stop them from speaking boldly. If we know in our hearts something is wrong, it is not only okay but a responsibility to say it is wrong. There isn’t a need to engage in an argument; rather, we should simply make a statement and be a Christian witness in a kind and caring manner. You may find that others know deep down it is wrong to take a life, and their conscience may engage if someone is brave enough to remind them.
Let’s continue to support each other in prayer. And when we get weary, remember the words in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
There is no official job description for being a servant of the Lord. Being a prayer warrior is as important as being the leader of an organization. All are important in God’s eyes.
We can be voices For Life as individuals or members of a Life Team or Life Chapter—all are important in God’s eyes.
If you can find it in your heart to take on the role of being part of a Life Team or Life Chapter in your church or area, please consider doing that, for all are important in God’s eyes. God is in charge of the team, and Jesus’ death and resurrection provide the motivation for the work of life champions.
Just remember God’s plan for life in John 10:10 where He shares the simplest message: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Praise the Lord!